ESU student will go to trial in on-campus rape

An East Stroudsburg University student will go to trial on charges that he raped a classmate in her dorm room in November.

On Tuesday, a magisterial district judge bound over all charges against Franklin Nael Mercedes, 18, of Allentown.

Mercedes has been charged with rape of an unconscious victim, sexual assault, and aggravated indecent assault, all felonies.

Police say in the early hours of Nov. 15 they received a report from a female student who said she had awoken to find Mercedes having sex with her without her consent. She told police she kicked Mercedes out of the bed and telling him to get out.

The woman said she was at a party earlier that night where she consumed alcohol. She remembered seeing Mercedes at the party, but not speaking to him.

Police interviewed Mercedes later that morning. He said he did not know how he arrived at the victim’s room. He said that he returned home from the party to find her door was open and that they must have had some conversation because he then found himself in bed with her.